"I agree with grandpa. Elder Ambrose did not give me a good first impression." Greyson nodded along with his grandfather"s logic. His decision was not completely based on instinct. A crucial factor was the fact that Lucius was resting on his shoulder and warned him that Ambrose was a harbinger of bad luck for Greyson and his family. Such an ominous warning from a Destiny Cat was to be taken seriously, so he knew he must take a determined stance against Ambrose. Not only Ambrose, but also the entire Dragon Tribe was causing feelings of apprehension like something major was about to take place. Greyson was somehow getting pulled into the smack dab in the middle of the spark that will set off a war. Part of him wanted to entreat Greyson to flee and not look back. It is possible this would actually cause the entire conflict to be averted. However, he knew Greyson would never leave. Loyalty was part of the reason Lucius confided in him. It was only now that he wished he picked someone a bit more selfish. All he could accomplish was continually warning Greyson and keeping alert towards their surroundings to ward off any unwanted surprises.
"Hahaha, well if my dear grandson also feels this way then this granny should listen." Chuckling happily, Freizon put on an indulgent tone as she tousled Greyson"s hair.
"Grandmother! I"m not just saying this..." Feeling his warning was not taken seriously, Greyson pushed a little harder.
"Alright, alright. I understand." Nodding solemnly, Freizon, nonetheless, gave herself away with the little grin peeking at the corners of her lips. Speechless, Greyson decided it was fine. His grandparents were already suspicious of Ambrose and the entire situation. Advising them was just something that set his mind at ease. Before he could put another word in, a loud shouting starting echoing through the tunnels.
"Elders... Elders!... ELDERS!" Approaching rapidly, the voice grew in volume until it was crystal clear. Quickly flying in, a large Snow Dragons swooped in to deliver news.
"Calm down, Jemir, what seems to be the issue?" Ma.s.saging his temples in exhaustion, Elder Brevre sighed.
"Reporting to Elder Brevre, a brawl has broken out between those Light Dragon guards and our tribesmen."
"What?! I explicitly commanded everyone to not fight back at this time. The Light Dragons also do not want a ma.s.sive fight with us. Quickly flying in, a large Snow Dragons swooped in to deliver news." Veins popping out from his forehead in frustration, Brevre shouted furiously.
"No, Elder! You are mistaken. Those wretched guards truly took it too far this time! They beat Rhea"s son within an inch of his life. Of course, Rhea would not just watch her son die, so she fought back this time. Just like a chain reaction, it only took Rhea to make everyone else jump in. Elders should jump in before things get even more out of hand." Jemir angrily growled clearly upset about the recent developments.
"Rhea..." Freizon felt slightly shocked. "That child is usually so strict with herself; it"s not easy to make her lose herself to her emotions. How is Saemir?""Rhea"s son will live."
"Lead the way. Let us go stop the fight."
Brevre and Freizon transformed into their original dragon form and one grabbed onto Rosalie while the other grabbed Greyson. In just a couple of moments, the group arrived near the border of the Snow Peak where the fighting broke out. Bursts of light and blue ice exploded out everywhere. Freizon moved forward and opened her hand towards the fighting. Clenching into a fist, all of the dragons disappeared. The next instant, they all reappeared apart from each other with the Snow Dragons behind the Elders and the Light Dragons back behind the borderline.
"Stop." Her stern voice echoed.
"Elder Freizon, you must retrieve justice for us! Look at Rhea"s son! Look at his injuries. You have known Saemir since his birth, surely you will not sit back and watch!" One of the Snow Dragons in the crowd cried out indignantly.
"Elder Brevre, Elder Freizon, I respect you, but I will not sit back and listen to slander. Saemir attempted to cross the border even though he knows that all Snow Dragons were ordered to stay inside the confines of Snow Peak. Since he resisted, we had no choice but to injure him severely. This situation did not start with us; we are not the aggressors." Not backing down an inch, the Light Dragon guard leader also spoke up in his defense.
"Stop with your rubbis.h.!.+"
"You definitely instigated the fight!"
"Your bullying has gone too far!"
Tons of dissident yells exploded from the Snow Dragons after hearing the leader"s reply.
"ENOUGH! Where is Rhea?" Brevre did not listen to anyone"s nonsense.
"Elder Brevre, I am here." Flying out from the crowd, one of the Snow Dragons replied.
"You recount to me what has happened."
"Replying to Elder, my foolish son tried to sneak out of the peak to rendezvous with his Water Dragon lover. I admit that he was wrong to disobey orders, and his impatience was childish. However, he did not resist violently once he was apprehended. I already rushed swiftly behind him because I noticed almost instantly that Saemir snuck out. I witnessed my son turn around when he perceived the guards, but that group of guards did not give up. They hounded him and beat him. Initially, I was going to follow the Elders" orders and not defend him. After all, it was Saemir who made a mistake. But... they just wouldn"t stop." Rhea"s voice cracked a little with emotion. "I could not continue to sit back and watch. Those were not wounds that would heal in just a day or so time. It would take months and many herbs to help."
"It"s alright, child. We do not blame you or Saemir. Accompany your son back to heal." Brevre waved to dismiss them after hearing Rhea speak. With a thorough understanding of Rhea"s personality, they were inclined to believe her side of the story.
"Well, you heard her. I will admit it was Saemir"s fault first, therefore I will not pursue the beating. However, do not believe this old man to be blind and stupid. I know exactly what is going on lately with you guards. Scram back to Light Peak, we will no longer condone this farce to continue. If you still come back and try to wreak havoc, we will no longer order the others to quietly back down. All in moderation. I hope you go back and inform your leaders I have said this." Brevre flicked his hand and the group of the Light Dragons all disappeared from sight.
This was the first time Greyson ever witnessed his grandparents make a move. He had to admit he was impressed. When they were serious, his silly grandfather and grandmother could be quite majestic.
"Powerful, right?" He heard Rosalie"s voice question from beside him.
"Yeah. We will reach a point like this, too!"
"Definitely."
"This is now over. Everyone return to their caves." Freizon spoke to send away the rest of the crowd. Everyone listened immediately and started to disperse. Greyson could overhear the dissatisfied whispers amidst them. Thinking back to the Light Dragon guards from earlier, he also felt troubled. Some of the lower-level guards seemed confused by the fight while the upper-level guards looked like they fully comprehended the situation and were confident. Yet, if they really did, why would they beat up Saemir like that? Everything about the a.s.sa.s.sination to the present conflict was starting to make Greyson suspicious.
...
"How goes the Dragon operation?" A raspy voice spoke out.
"Reporting to Master, everything is going smoothly. Too many of them are simple to use. A war for power seems imminent."
"They require another push. Use our hidden piece. The time has come for them to reveal their use."
"That person? Would it not be more beneficial to wait for a better moment?"
"There is no better moment. Their actions will cause the exact spark we require for a fight to explode."
"Understood, Master. I will start right away. Who will the targets be?"
"The grandchildren of those Elders, Brevre and Freizon. Someone from the Wind Dragons as well. We need them to choose a side. Let"s make it a little easier for them to do so, alright?"
"Kekeke. I"m certain they will appreciate the favor." The black-robed figure bowed to the mirror in front of him.
"Alright, I will leave this to you. No mistakes."
"Entrust it to me, Master. I will not disappoint you."